Asian Games facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Asian Games

The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, is a major sports competition for athletes from all over Asia. It happens every four years and features many different sports, similar to the Olympic Games. In fact, it's the second-largest multi-sport event in the world, right after the Olympics.

The first Asian Games were held in New Delhi, India, in 1951. At first, they were managed by the Asian Games Federation. But since 1982, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has been in charge. The International Olympic Committee officially recognizes the Games.

So far, nine different nations have hosted the Asian Games. A total of 46 nations have sent their athletes to compete. The most recent Games took place in Hangzhou, China, in 2023. The next ones are set for Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya in Japan, in 2026.

After the main Asian Games, the host city often holds the Asian Para Games. This event is for athletes with disabilities, just like the Paralympic Games.

How the Asian Games Began

Early Games in Asia

Before the Asian Games, there was another event called the Far Eastern Championship Games. It started in 1913 and brought together Japan, the Philippines, and China. These games were held ten times until 1934.

However, disagreements between China and Japan led to the games being canceled in 1938. After that, the event was stopped for good.

Creating the Asian Games

After World War II, many countries in Asia became independent. They wanted a way to show their strengths and build friendships through peaceful competition. During the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, officials from China and the Philippines talked about bringing back a sports event for Asia.

Guru Dutt Sondhi, a representative from India on the International Olympic Committee, suggested a brand-new competition. He believed it would show the unity and talent of Asian athletes. This idea led to the creation of the Asian Games. In 1949, the Asian Games Federation was formed, and New Delhi was chosen to host the very first Games in 1951.

Tough Times for the Games

The opening ceremony of the first Asian Games in 1951.

The Games have faced some challenges over the years. In 1962, the host country, Indonesia, had political disagreements with Israel and Taiwan and did not allow them to compete. This caused problems with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

In 1970, South Korea was supposed to host the Games but had to back out because of money and security issues. Thailand stepped in to host the event in Bangkok instead. The 1974 Games in Tehran, Iran, were important because China, North Korea, and Mongolia participated for the first time.

More problems arose before the 1978 Games. Pakistan, the original host, couldn't hold the event due to financial and political troubles. Thailand once again came to the rescue and hosted the Games in Bangkok.

Growing and Changing

Because of these challenges, the National Olympic Committees in Asia decided to make a change. In 1981, they created the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to organize the Games. The OCA has been in charge since the 1986 Games in Seoul, South Korea.

In 1990, the Games were held in Beijing, China. Taiwan was allowed to compete again, using the name Chinese Taipei. The 1994 Games in Hiroshima, Japan, welcomed five new countries from Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. This was also the first time the Games were held in a city that wasn't a country's capital.

Symbols and Traditions

The Motto and Logo

The Asian Games motto is "Ever Onward." It was suggested by Guru Dutt Sondhi in 1949 and represents the idea of always moving forward and improving.

The logo is a large red sun with 16 rays and a white circle in the center. It symbolizes the bright and warm spirit of the people of Asia.

Meet the Mascots

Since the 1982 Games in New Delhi, every Asian Games has had a mascot. A mascot is usually an animal found in the host country or a character that represents its culture. Mascots help make the Games fun and friendly for everyone.

Who Competes in the Games?

A medal from the 1974 Asian Games held in Tehran.

All 45 member nations of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) can send athletes to the Asian Games.

Some countries, like Turkey and Russia, are partly in Asia but compete in the European Games. Israel used to compete in the Asian Games but now participates in the European Games.

Taiwan competes under the name Chinese Taipei due to its unique political situation. Macau is also allowed to compete, even though it is not a member of the International Olympic Committee.

Only seven countries have competed in every single Asian Games since the beginning: India, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Thailand.

Host Cities Through the Years

Edition	Year	Host	Games dates / Opened by	Countries	Competitors	Sports	Events	Top-ranked team	Ref.
1	1951	New Delhi	4–11 March 1951 President Rajendra Prasad	11	489	6	57	Japan (JPN)
2	1954	Manila	1–9 May 1954 President Ramon Magsaysay	18	970	8	76
3	1958	Tokyo	24 May – 1 June 1958 Emperor Hirohito	16	1,820	13	97
4	1962	Jakarta	24 August – 4 September 1962 President Sukarno	12	1,460	13	88
5	1966	Bangkok	9–20 December 1966 King Bhumibol Adulyadej	16	1,945	14	143
6	1970	Bangkok	9–20 December 1970 King Bhumibol Adulyadej	18	2,400	13	135
7	1974	Tehran	1–16 September 1974 Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi	19	3,010	16	202
8	1978	Bangkok	9–20 December 1978 King Bhumibol Adulyadej		3,842	19	201
9	1982	New Delhi	19 November – 4 December 1982 President Zail Singh	23	3,411	21	147	China (CHN)
10	1986	Seoul	20 September – 2 October 1986 President Chun Doo-hwan	22	4,839	25	270
11	1990	Beijing	22 September – 7 October 1990 President Yang Shangkun	31	6,122	27	310
12	1994	Hiroshima	2–16 October 1994 Emperor Akihito	42	6,828	34	338
13	1998	Bangkok	6–20 December 1998 King Bhumibol Adulyadej	41	6,554	36	377
14	2002	Busan	29 September – 14 October 2002 President Kim Dae-jung	44	7,711	38	419
15	2006	Doha	1–15 December 2006 Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani	45	9,520	39	424
16	2010	Guangzhou	12–27 November 2010 Premier Wen Jiabao		9,704	42	476
17	2014	Incheon	19 September – 4 October 2014 President Park Geun-hye		9,501	37	439
18	2018	Jakarta and Palembang	18 August – 2 September 2018 President Joko Widodo		11,300	46	465
19	2022	Hangzhou	23 September – 8 October 2023 President Xi Jinping		11,935	40	481
20	2026	Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya	19 September – 4 October 2026 Emperor Naruhito (expected)	Future event		41	460	Future event
21	2030	Doha	4 – 19 November 2030	Future event
22	2034	Riyadh	29 November – 14 December 2034	Future event

What Sports Are Played?

The number of sports at the Asian Games has grown over time. The 2022 Games in Hangzhou had the most events ever, with 481 finals in 40 different sports.

To keep the Games from getting too big, the OCA now limits the number of sports. The program usually includes sports from the Summer Olympic Games, plus a few regional sports that are popular in Asia. Some of the sports you can see at the Games include:

• Aquatics (like swimming and diving)
• Archery
• Athletics (track and field)
• Badminton
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Boxing
• Canoeing
• Cricket
• Cycling
• Equestrian (horse riding)
• Esports (video games)
• Fencing
• Field hockey
• Football (soccer)
• Golf
• Gymnastics
• Judo
• Karate
• Rugby
• Sailing
• Shooting
• Table tennis
• Taekwondo
• Tennis
• Volleyball
• Weightlifting
• Wrestling
• Wushu (a Chinese martial art)

Top Medal-Winning Countries

Out of the 46 nations that have competed, 43 have won at least one medal. Only Bhutan, Maldives, and Timor-Leste are still seeking their first medal.

China and Japan are the only two countries that have finished at the top of the medal table. China has been the top country at every Games since 1982. At the 2022 Games, India became the fourth nation ever to win more than 100 medals in a single edition, after Japan, China, and South Korea.

Top 10 Nations in the All-Time Medal Table

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	China	1,674	1,105	791	3,570
2	Japan	1,084	1,104	1,054	3,242
3	South Korea	787	722	916	2,425
4	Iran	192	202	217	611
5	India	183	239	357	779
6	Kazakhstan	165	180	292	637
7	Thailand	144	189	311	644
8	North Korea	121	161	188	470
9	Chinese Taipei	118	164	304	586
10	Uzbekistan	105	138	171	414
Totals (10 entries)		4,573	4,204	4,601	13,378

Most Valuable Players

The Most Valuable Player (MVP) award is given to the best athlete of the Games. It was first introduced in 1998. Since 2022, one male and one female athlete receive the award.

Year	Athlete		Sport	Ref
	Male	Female
1998	Koji Ito	N/A	Athletics
2002	Kosuke Kitajima	N/A	Swimming
2006	Park Tae-hwan	N/A	Swimming
2010	Lin Dan	N/A	Badminton
2014	Kosuke Hagino	N/A	Swimming
2018	N/A	Rikako Ikee	Swimming
2022	Qin Haiyang	Zhang Yufei	Swimming

See also

In Spanish: Juegos Asiáticos para niños

• Asian Beach Games
• Asian Winter Games
• Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games
• Asian Youth Games
• South Asian Games
• Southeast Asian Games
• West Asian Games